When it comes to a hiring a great manager, gaining a deeper understanding of the characteristics and management style of a candidate can make a big difference. Consider implementing these three tips to help you determine if this candidate is your company's next potential leader.

Review Their Management Style

There are a number of management styles out there, and it’s important that your future leader’s management style aligns with your team’s needs and your company culture. From observing the interactions of this potential leader with others to personality trait assessments, you’ll be able to gain a better understanding of this individual's overall management style.

Team Feedback: Past and Present

Gathering feedback from your current team is a great place to start. These conversations can help you uncover leadership needs that you may not be aware of and need to prioritize when it comes to hiring a new manager. This conversation also gives you an opportunity to create and relay the transition plan to the team so they know what to expect when it comes to the hiring timeline.

If possible, gathering feedback from previous teams who have worked under this potential leader can provide great insight as well. Gathering information through reference checks or additional interviews can allow you to dig into how the perspective candidate motivates their team, handles conflict, and provides constructive criticism.

Behavioral Interview Questions

Asking behavioral interview questions can give you an inside look at how a leader has managed in the past and how they might manage your team in the future. These questions are often centered around certain scenarios where you inquire how a candidate would handle a potential situation. This is an opportunity to look at how a perspective candidate adapts to change, finds solutions to difficult decisions, and supports their team on a daily basis.

While a great manager holds a combination of skills and characteristics that allow them to rally and motivate their team, being able to easily identify how these traits and behaviors fit in with your organization is an important part of hiring the right manager for your team. Let the Specialized Recruiting Group Stillwater help you jump start your next Executive Search for your organization’s leadership team.

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